"No this time around I plan to build a bank," Will answered.

"Eh, what's a bank?" said Stephen, one of the Thompson brothers.

"A bank is a place where customers can store money, valuables, and receive loans," Will explained briefly.

"Oh, you mean to open a moneylender business. Those are quite profitable, I just thought it be something new and innovative," the other brother, Seamus, said sadly.

In Guidon, most moneylenders stood at wooden stalls in the southern district and were owned by slave traders. Debt slavery was a profitable business, and the brothers suspected Will wanted in on the business.

"We never pegged you as a slave trader type of person," Stephen said.

"No, you misjudge. I have no interest in slave trading. People who store their money with me will receive interest, in other words, I'll pay them for leaving their coin with me. At the same time, I'll loan out money to people who need coins and charge them for borrowing. Does that sound like the typical moneylender to you?" Will asked.

Will knew slavery was a common practice in Fermion. There were three kinds of slaves. First, there were war slaves, these were captured, Albanian soldiers.

The second was criminal slaves, these were not dangerous people, but they were sentenced to slavery instead of imprisonment or execution. For example, Will could ask the City Lord to make the troubadours criminal slaves instead of executing their thievery.

The last type of slaves were debt slaves. These slaves were more like indentured servants who served an amount of time before they earned their freedom. Usually, a farmer would purchase a slave's debt from the moneylenders. Afterward, the farmer and the slave signed contracts stipulating the agreed terms based on the size of the debt.

"No, but it still sounds like usuary. The reason the moneylenders would rather work in the southern district than here, in the northern district, is because the churches frown on usuary," Mr. Murphy chimed into the conversation.

"The churches condemn usuary because they feel a loan should be given out of compassion and neighborliness, not to exploit another," Mr. Murphy said dispassionately.

"If I pay people money for storing money, how is that usuary. You could argue I'm helping people. The only people who I charge interest are the borrowers," said Will emphatically.

"You could argue such, yes. Well, that is innovative. I don't think anyone has thought of such yet. Surely, you wish to patent that idea at the administration office. Amelia gets in here now, send Sir. vont Ballard's business proposal to the administration building at once to have it patented," the Merchant Guild Master voice transitioned from a whisper to a shout.

"Sir. vont Navette, Mr. Murphy, and the Thompson brothers, could I count on you to invest in my new company. I'm sure you gentlemen wish to earn money with your money," Will asked tactfully.

The Thompson brothers nodded their heads in agreement, but Mr. Murphy and Sir. vont Narrate was more hesitant.

"Sir. vont Ballard, will you be auctioning off shares to this business as well in the capital?" the Merchant Guild Master asked.

"No, shares for this company will be auctioned later," Will replied. Ideally, he wanted to auction shares for bank and bicycle companies together to fund his most ambiguous project.

"Given your proximity to the churches, if they don't accuse you of usuary, this could be a very lucrative business. Even the moneylenders who peddle in the southern district make quite a bit of coin. Do you plan to house your piles of coin in your bank?" guild master asked.

"Yes of course. All that gold sitting around doing nothing, not making me any money. It's the reason I came up with this idea in the first place. As soon as this building is finished, I'm moving all my gold over and my other valuables," Will said emphatically.

After Will finished, plates of food and drinks were brought into the conference room. A small orange pig with an apple in its mouth sat in the center of the table. This truly was a luxurious meal.

Will turned to the Thompson brothers, "I'll need the walls to be extra strong and magically protected. With all the coins and valuables inside, I need this store to look like a store, but be as strong as a fortress. Is that possible?" Will asked taking a bite of maize.

"Of course we can, but it will cost you! We do it all the time, we even have a mage on the payroll. But, what your asking for we'll have to contact the wizard tower for help, and they are not cheap," Seamus said.

"That's fine, I have to ensure people that their coin is protected. The last thing I need is a mage robbing the bank, that could put me out of business. Is it possible to hire mages as guards?" Will thought out loud.

"Yes, we have a contract with the Wizard Tower. The Merchant Guild hires mages as guards, but you won't see them outside or in the building. If something happens, they'll teleport here and defend this place.

As a favor to you, I'll reach out to them. Moreover, the Merchant Guild will happily pay the guard fees, for our most famous guild member," Sir. vont Navarrete said and clapped his hands, happy he thought of such a diplomatic idea.

"Then I thank you sir guild master," Will said sipping a bitter red wine.

As Will was eating his potatoes and vegetables, the front desk clerk invited a wispy young man into the conference room. The man was visibly nervous, his tanned skin turned red, to match his hair and freckles.

"Good evening gentlemen, sir guild master, and Mr. Murphy, you summoned me. You said you found a buyer?" the red-haired, freckled man stammered through every word. Will wondered if the man had a nature speech disorder or if he was truly nervous.

The guild master looked at Mr. Murphy who took it upon himself to introduce everyone. When Mr. Murphy introduced Will, the already shaken man energetically bowed in reverence only to knock himself unconscious on the conference table.

Will stared as the grocer fell onto the floor doubled over. At first, they weren't sure if the man was unconscious or not. But after Mr. Murphy threw water onto his face they knew the man had passed out.

The man was not out for long, he woke up like a reanimated corpse stretching out his legs, arms and panicking about why he was on the floor all of a sudden.

"You stupid imbecile. You are just like your brat father. I invite you to this sumptuous dinner and you knock yourself unconscious. You disgrace the guild," shouted the guild master. His true demeanor finally showing.

"I apologize, sir, it won't happen again sir," said the nervous twig of a man.

"Go to the end of the table, being near you is ruining my appetite. Had Sir. William vont Ballard not requested, I would have never sent for you," the guild master angrily said.

The man bowed his head and ambled the seat at the end. As he passed Will, he smiled. The fact that Sir. vont Ballard asked for him, which made him thrilled. He was not much older than Will, he was 18 and had taken over the family grocery store when his father fell ill. Even worse, his father became bedridden.

The grocery store had belonged to his family for generations. The store made just enough money to get by. On several occasions, they had to borrow money to pay their guild fees and taxes.

When merchants began moving their businesses closer to Will's, he thought he follows the trend and put the grocer up for sale. Reality proved harsh, no one was interested, he received no offers for three months. Will was the first person to make an offer on his grocer. He knew this was providence and he planned to take advantage of this opportunity.

"Connor, Sir. vont Ballard wants to buy your store for the listed price of…" Mr. Murphy flipped through a few pages before saying, "4,500 gold?"

Will tried to hid his surprise. He could not believe such a prime location was offered at such a low price. Even though the store was much smaller than his first warehouse. He still paid 10,000 gold for a rundown burnt warehouse. No matter how much he tried, he could not hide his glee. He smiled at Connor.

Connor returned the smile, he simply thought Sir. vont Ballard was a nice man. In response to Mr. Murphy, Connor summed all his courage and said, "I'll only sell if Ms. Yuri agrees to sell her florist shop to me. I want my grocer to next to Sir. vont Ballard new store."

"You little shit! This is how you return all those favors, exemptions, and loans the Merchant Guild has given your family all those years.

Those favors are over, this year you'll need to pay all your fees and back taxes. Don't think about asking for a delay.

Your family has been a thorn in my side for ages. Your grocer should have moved to the southern district a decade ago!" Sir. vont Navarette almost choked on his food when he heard Connor's reply.

"Why not sell to Sir. vont Ballard now, and approach Ms. Yuri later with your grand gold coins? Why inconvenience Sir. vont Ballard?" Mr. Murphy asked confused.

"I don't want to miss this opportunity! This will finally make my family business profitable?" Connor stuttered.

"You brat, you truly are ungrateful. Change your mind this instant, and the Merchant Guild will help you purchase Ms. Yuri's florist," said the frustrated guild master.

"No, I want the agreement signed before I sell," Connor said stutter nervously.

"You bastard, surely you are lacking in judgment to dismiss your guild master's words so swiftly. As a merchant, you are aware of the rules no doubt. Your guild card will receive a punch as a penalty, for insulting your guild master," now Mr. Murphy was upset. His diplomacy ended the moment he felt Conor insulted Sir. vont Navarette.

Will was surprised to learn guild members were penalized by having their guild card punched. On Earth, 'having your ticket punched,' was a Western idiom for finding success. He would need to remember having your guild card punched was a punishment.

"Amelia, bring me Ms. Yuri the florist and punch a hole in Connor's guild card. Set his fine at 25 gold," Mr. Murphy said to the front desk clerk.

"Make it 50 gold!" the guild master said to the receptionist as he angrily tore of a chicken leg.

Amelia and Mr. Murphy looked at each other in surprise. Will ascertained, 50 gold was a weighty fine. And based on Connor's white face, he knew it was excessive.

When Amelia left an uncomfortable silence set in. The guild master and Mr. Murphy stared murderously at Connor. The Thompson brothers and Will ate a chocolate strawberry tart for dessert. This was Will's first time having such a luxurious feast, no doubt Sir. vont Navarette ate as well as the king.

After an uncomfortable half-hour, Ms. Yuri was brought to the conference room. She bowed and greeted each gentleman. Ms. Yuri was the same age as Connor. As an unmarried chaste woman, Amelia stayed in the conference with Ms. Yuri. The women stood by the open door.

At once Mr. Murphy explained the situation to her. He detailed Connor's insubordination and unwillingness to sell unless she sold the florist shop. He pressured her, letting her know this would greatly please the guild master. Moreover, the Merchant Guild would help her purchase a new property.

Will looked at the woman, she was uncomfortable and didn't want to sell either. He saw her look at Connor hatefully, she was furious he brought her into this situation. Like the grocer, the florist shop had also been in her family for generations.

However, unlike Connor's family, her family never asked for exemptions, delays, or loans from the Merchant Guild. That's not to say they were well off, the florist shop only made enough to cover their expenses, with a few bronze coins worth of income.

"How about a merger?" Will spoke tiredly of this juvenile back and forth. At first, Will respect Connor's resolve but as the sky turned darker outside, Will grew tired. It was apparent that Connor had backed himself into a corner and had no idea how to get himself out.

"Merger?" Yuri and Conor said together looking at Will in confusion.

"Yes, a merger. Yuri why not take Connor's money and combine the grocer and the florist into one shop. That should double both your foot traffic and hopefully increase your profits," Will yawned.

"You mean get married?" both Yuri and Connor looked at each other. They were childhood friends, and both families were close. 'Logically it made sense to merger business…and families?' They thought both turned red.

Will realized he was biased. He forgot the life expectancy for non-mages and knights was much lower. Living to the age of 60 was considered exceptional.

Sir. vont Navarette, Mr. Murphy, the Thompson brothers, Amelia, and Will had no interest in describing a corporate merger. They all secretly made eye contact with each other and decided to push marriage on these two.

"Yes, get married. As a wedding present, I'll donate 25 gold to both families," Will said.

"As a wedding present, I'll remodel your florist and grocer for free," said the Thompson brothers.

"As a wedding present, I'll rescind stamping Conor's guild card," said Mr. Murphy.

"As a wedding present, the combine florist and grocer may forgo guild fees this year," said Sir. vont Navarette.

Yuri and Connor looked at each other in the eyes. Connor rose and walked to Yuri. "Yuri, will you marry me?" Connor asked, his stutter was gone.

"Yes," replied Yuri happily.